For hundreds of years, ceramic and stone tiles have been used for decorative purposes on buildings, artwork and furniture, among other applications. Tiles of stone in particular have been used since the beginning of recorded history as elegant building decorations. In modern time, ceramic tiles, which are typically painted with glaze and fired in a kiln, have been frequently used on surfaces where resistance to water and abrasion is needed, such as in bathrooms and exterior surfaces. However, in more elegant applications, tiles of solid stone such as marble are still used, due to the unique texture and visual appearance of solid stone, as well as the desire to evoke the appearance of an ancient structure.
Ceramic or stone tiles are often left bare, but in many applications it is desirable to decorate the ceramic or stone tiles with artwork.
Both ceramic and stone tile have disadvantages when used as a building material. Firstly, ceramic and stone tiles are heavy and therefore difficult to maneuver and hold in position. As a result, tiles are typically glued into position on walls to ensure the tiles do not fall off. This means the tiles cannot be easily replaced or exchanged. Furthermore, ceramic and stone tiles are brittle and prone to breakage, particularly during changing weather conditions. Finally, ceramic and stone tiles are relatively difficult and expensive to decorate with an image. One method of decoration is to hand paint the tiles, but this requires extensive effort by an artist. Furthermore, it is difficult to accurately reproduce an original image by this method. Moreover, a hand-painted surface is typically fragile and subject to chipping. Although a hand-painted ceramic tile can be made durable by incorporating the painting into the tile glaze, this approach requires custom painting of the tile prior to kiln firing, thus increasing the cost.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a decorative tile which avoids the various drawbacks of known ceramic and stone tiles described above. Furthermore, there is a need for a method of forming decorative artwork on tiles in a manner which is more durable and accurate, and less labor-intensive than hand painting.